SUNSET: 
Comet Elenin's Last Gasp
It was never going to be an "extinction-level" threat to Earth, but skygazers had hoped that Comet Elenin (C/2010 X1) would put on a decent show in October's predawn skies. In the end, however, it just went "poof".
The Great World Wide Star Count
Join thousands of other "citizen scientists" in raising dark-sky awareness around the globe.
Draconid Meteors Arrive As Forecast
Chalk up another win for the meteor-shower modelers. Europeans saw a display of up to a couple hundred Draconid meteors per hour on Saturday evening.
A Mad Dash for the Draconids
If celestial prognosticators are right, the little-known Draconid meteor shower could deliver hundreds of "shootings stars" per hour during a brief window on Saturday, October 8th. But the outburst's timing favors Europe, not North America.
Tour October's Sky! | September 30th, 2011
This is a month of transition: Northern summer becomes autumn, Saturn sets just before Jupiter rises, and Venus is moving from the morning sky before dawn to the evening sky.
Observe Mira, the Amazing Star
The extraordinary variable star Mira is expected to peak in early October, 2011.
M101's Supernova Shines On
As of October 3rd the supernova in the galaxy M101 was down to about magnitude 11.1, after peaking in mid-September at 9.9. It's fading by about 0.1 magnitude every two days now, and it has changed from white to strikingly orange-red.
Antiope Occultation Yields Double Bonanza
When observers fanned out last July 19th to record a binary asteroid's passage across a distant star, they hoped to gain scientifically important new findings. The results are in, and they've scored big-time!
Trusty Comet Garradd
Comet C/2009 P1 Garradd is shining at 7th or maybe even 6th magnitude as it traverses southeastern Hercules.
Lots Going On in the Sky
The first week of September will be a memorable time for observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
Tour September's Sky! | August 31st, 2011
This is a month of transition: Northern summer becomes autumn, Saturn sets just before Jupiter rises, and Venus is moving from the morning sky before dawn to the evening sky.
Comet Elenin Self-Destructs
It was going to be the celestial highlight of 2011. Now Comet Elenin appears to have broken into pieces just two weeks prior to its perihelion.
Perseids: Looking Up, Looking Down
Earthbound observers struggled to see August's famous "shooting stars" through a sky awash with moonlight. But a shutterbug astronaut aboard the International Space Station had the best view of all!
Off Year for the Perseid Meteor Shower
The year's best-known display of shooting stars is usually dramatic and dependable. But even though light from a full Moon will wash out the fainter arrivals when the shower peaks early in the morning of August 13th, you'll still see the shower's brightest meteors streak across the sky.
Great Sun This Week
This week the Sun is putting on its best show in nearly a decade.
Tour August's Sky! | July 29th, 2011
This is your last chance to spot Saturn before it sinks into the evening twilight. But there are many other celestial attractions to look for on August evenings.
Watch a Star Wink Out on September 3rd
On the evening of Saturday, September 3rd, the dark edge of the Moon will cover the 2.3-magnitude star Delta Scorpii from the eastern and southern U.S. to northern Venezuela.
Rare Occultation by a Double Asteroid
Early on Tuesday, July 19th, lucky observers along a 120-mile-wide path from north-central California to central Saskatchewan have a chance to watch a big, enigmatic double asteroid briefly cover a relatively bright star in Aquarius.
Even if you're nowhere near the path, one enterprising observer plans a live webcast of the view through his telescopes during the event.
Neptune in Motion
Sky and Telescope's editor Sean Walker puts together NASA's anniversary images of Neptune to create a movie that shows a day on the blue planet.
Happy Birthday, Neptune!
On July 12th, Neptune completed one full circuit around the Sun since its discovery on the night of Sept 23-24, 1846.
